Jesse fewkes



@a its It t ate a a s n tr JESSE :EEWKES .0E NEWTON,v MASSACHUSETTS, AASSIe'NeE To SILVER LAKE MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

Letters Patent No. 72,991, dated January 7,1868.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JESSE FEWKES, of Newton, in the county of Middlesex, and State ofv Massachusetts, have invented au Adjustable Reel or Expansien-Pulley, around which the finished cord of a braiding-machine, &c., is wound previous to its passing to the take-up reel; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this spccitication, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of my improved expansion-pulley.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the centre of the same. v

My invention consists in an adjustable reel or pulley, the diameter of which may be increased or diminished, sp as to take up the finished cord or rope at the exact speed required, thus avoiding the necessity of removing the pulley, and replacing it by another of different diameter, each time that a cord of a different size is to be braided.

. To enable others skilled in the art to'understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe-the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A is the baseof the pulley, which is revolved on a spindle, B, rising from the framework by means of gearing, (notshown.) a is a groove in the base of the pulley, in which runs a cord or belt for driving the take-up reel. b is a series of bent reds, of the form seen in iig. 2, which constitute the exterior surface of the pulley, upon which the cord is wound, the lower ends of these rods being pivoted at 5 to the upper peripheryof the base, A, while their upper ends pass through holes in a circular plate or dish, C, which is supported on a screw, l), the lower end of which is provided with an enlargement, c, (see fig. 3,) which revolves freely in a coupling, E, which is provided with a female screw, by means of which it is attached to the upper end of the spindle B, and thus, as the screw D is revolved, by taking hold of its head d, the plate C will be raised or lowered,'according to the direction the screw is turned.

It will thus be seen that as the plateis raised, the inclined nods 6 will 'he moved on their pivots away from the centre of the reel, thereby increasingits dian1cter as required; while, on the plate C being lowered, the rods will be brought nearer the centre, and the diameter of the reel p roportionably decreased. The plate C is furnished with three series of holes, as seenin iig. l, so that if the diameter of the reel cannot be made suiiiciently large by lowering the plate C to its full extent, the coupling E may he unscrewed, and the plate C lifted up, so as to allow the ends of the rods b to be inserted in the second or third series of holes, as the case may require, and, when the coupling is unscrewed, the whole pulley may be liftedoii'. the spindle I), and another of a different size put in its place.

The diameter -of the above-described pulley may thus be adjusted with a great degreeof nicety by means oih the screw D, so that the cord or rope, when wound around it, will he drawn off at the exact speed-required, thus keeping the point, when the rope is being formed, at the desired' height, and preventing it from running up or down, asis the euse when the pulley draws it too fast or too slow, different sizes of cord being manufactured with more or less speed, Should the cord when forming be made with a long and loose braid, the plate C may be screwed down, thus reducing the diameter of the take-up portion of the pulley, when the hraid will be made more slowly and tightly, as required. When thc bruid is made too rapidly, so that the braiding-point runs down, and the yarns become entangled, the`plate C muy he screwed up, thus increasing thc diameter of the pulley, and taking up the work proportionably faster. i

I do not wish to confine myself` to the exact construction and use of the several devices above described, forming the various `portions of my invention, iu connection only with machines for making cordage, as it is evident that they may he applied to various other descriptions of machinery without departing from the spirit of my invention; for instance, to weaving, braiding, sewing-machines, 82e. I therefore vintend to use them, either together or separately, wherever they may be found to be applicable.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ,is-

The combination of the rods Z7, pivoted to the pulley A, with the plate C, constructed as described, and th-e screw D, for governing positively the position of said reds, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth. A v

JESSE FEWKES. Witnesses: i

N.,W. STEARNS, P. E. TEscHEMAoHEn. 

